


Keeper of Memories

by jaskiersvalley (connorssock)



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Assumed Character Death, Happy Ending, M/M, Traditions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:20:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28032273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/connorssock/pseuds/jaskiersvalley
Summary: Vesemir’s room was the largest in Kaer Morhen. Nowhere else was big enough to hold all the memories.
Relationships: Eskel/Lambert (The Witcher), Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 8
Kudos: 93
Collections: Sugar and Spice Witcher Bingo





	Keeper of Memories

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Sugar and Spice Witcher Bingo, filling the square 'stuffed animals'

It was no secret that Vesemir had the biggest bedroom that could be found in Kaer Morhen. Despite it having led to some fierce arguments at the time, he stood firm in the face of Lambert’s fury and logic. Vesemir took the largest room but he allowed Lambert and Eskel to take the largest bed. That wasn’t why he needed the room but he would never tell the others the truth. So he allowed his pups to think it was some kind of pompous, hierarchical bullshit. They didn’t need to know the truth. It was just a fact of their lives that Vesemir had the biggest room and nobody was allowed in there.

Another fact of life was that the great hall had three tatty, stuffed toys on the mantlepiece of the fire that was never lit. There was no point in wasting fuel on all the fireplaces so only the kitchen, bedrooms and dining hall was ever lit and kept warm. Those three toys were all but forgotten, part of the décor and ignored. Quirky but if that was what Vesemir found tolerable decoration during the year when his pups were out on the Path, nobody was going to question it. The two patchy teddies and the ragged rabbit never seemed to accumulate dust as the years went on.

There were winters where Geralt didn’t return. But Vesemir wasn’t overly worried, the songs about the White Wolf and his latest heroic deeds were sung across the continent. It was a comfort in a way, no matter where the Wolves of Kaer Morhen went, they always knew Geralt was well. That didn’t mean the other two had as much fame and fortune. If there was a year they missed coming home for winter, there was no knowing their fate. Sometimes, if they had the coin, they could send a letter home to reassure the others but that was a rarity.

If Lambert or Eskel didn’t make it, Vesemir had a long year ahead of waiting. So did the other wolves home for the winter. Not that Geralt had returned in a couple of years, too busy spending winters with his bard in Oxenfurt. Given that Lambert was a bit patchy and not too enthused with climbing the mountain to Kaer Morhen, he was more likely to miss winters. It was almost expected that he’d go missing once every few years and then return the following winter as if nothing had happened. With Geralt away too, winter was very quiet when it was just Eskel and Vesemir. They did their best to keep Kaer Morhen patched up, shared chores and had evenings of quiet companionship.

The following year Lambert wasn’t back. Geralt did arrive with bard in tow and there was song and noise and life in the old keep. It made life more interesting and winter passed in a pleasant blur.

Third year without any sign of Lambert and Geralt was back in Oxenfurt if rumours were to be believed. Winter was near silent by contrast to the previous one.

“There’s no sign of him,” Eskel said as he and Vesemir locked Kaer Morhen for the fourth winter without Lambert. War was ravaging the Continent, people were scared and antsy. A witcher who hadn’t been home for four years was unlikely to ever come back.

Nodding, Vesemir knew the truth. He didn’t want to believe it but to deny it was to deny Lambert’s rest. Together they built an empty pyre and lit it without saying a word. Once the fire was low, Vesemir turned to go back inside and, after a silent moment, Eskel followed. Rather than go to the dining hall where they’d pulled chairs close to the fire, Vesemir headed to the entrance hall. There, he picked up the old rabbit from the mantlepiece.

“You might as well see it,” he said to Eskel and they walked to Vesemir’s room.

On silent hinges the door swung open to reveal a room with a bed and shelves from floor to ceiling. Each of them was carefully lined with old stuffed toys, some barely recognisable from how often they’d been repaired over the years. Walking in, Vesemir put the rabbit on the shelf with the most space.

“Every recruit was made a soft toy to have for the first couple of weeks while they settled in,” Vesemir said. “Each shelf is a cohort. Though some do migrate if special bonds have been formed.”

Eskel thought of the two bears on the mantlepiece and knew they were him and Geralt. And he also knew that their bears would join Lambert’s rabbit on a shelf when the time came.

“Do you have one?”

Vesemir’s eyes drifted to a tatty toy on his desk. It may have once been a wolf but it had long since lost its ears and button eyes.

“They all have names you know.” Vesemir drew their attention back to the shelves. “I’ve kept their memories, written them down so even if they are no longer with us, they’re not forgotten.” After a moment’s hesitation, he quietly offered, “I know you and Lambert were close. You could help me write his entry.”

For the rest of the winter, Eskel spent a lot of time in Vesemir’s bedroom, learning all the names of long dead witchers, some of whom he vaguely remembered from his own training days. He read the stories that went with each name, tried to get a feel for the person they used to be. As winter drew to a close and the snow started to melt, they needed to make the newest entry.

“Lambert is-” Eskel cleared his throat, “was probably best summed up as a prickly ball of cotton.”

Thinking about him hurt. Remembering all his stupid things, like fishing with bombs had Eskel’s throat tightening as emotions overwhelmed him. “He wasn’t just a witcher, he was my partner,” he whispered and Vesemir set the quill aside to pull him in for a tight hug.

“I know. And I’m so sorry.” Words were powerless to bring Lambert back or to sooth the gaping hole left by him. But it was all they had and, as witchers always did, they would make-do with them.

Come spring, Eskel glanced at the two almost identical teddies on the mantlepiece. “I’ll be back for winter, I promise.”

It was a promise he made good on, returning a little sooner than usual. Geralt had come with Jaskier and, much to Eskel’s surprise, there was a new stuffed toy on the mantlepiece - a bird of some description, made of an old shirt.

The four of them settled for the winter, they had everything they needed, the keep was mostly repaired and their stores were filled with food. Geralt had the good grace to look forlorn when they told him about the pyre for Lambert that he missed. That evening, Jaskier sang slower songs, ones of times gone by and memories that needed to be treasured.

Nobody expected the front door of the keep the slam open three days later with a holler of “the rabbit finally kick the bucket? Nice bird replacement!”

Rushing to the entrance hall, Eskel’s jaw dropped at the sight of Lambert looking whole and healthy. In his wake were two new additions.

“Brought some friends to liven shit up,” Lambert said as he took his time to look over Eskel. “If Pretty Boy could bring his bard, I figured I could bring friends for both of us.”

Words choked in his throat, Eskel pulled Lambert into a bearhug, all but lifting him off the ground. There were no tears but a lot of touches, making sure the other was really there.

It was the fullest Kaer Morhen had been in decades. Lambert had been right, he did bring friends in the form of Aiden and Cahir. More than friends, as time revealed. They fit seamlessly into their winter routines and proved to be quite the addition to the ragtag group.

By the time spring rolled around and Kaer Morhen opened its gates again, the rabbit was back on the mantlepiece. But, in addition there were two cats there too and Vesemir nodded to Eskel. It could be their secret for now. But Kaer Morhen would never forget its family.

**Author's Note:**

> More short stories on tumblr @jaskiersvalley


End file.
